Page 5 - Top Prospect

Late in the game, Carter leaped up, trying to snag a
pass for a big first down and keep a drive alive. I never
saw him get up so high, not even off a diving board
in the Alachua Community Pool. At the height of his
leap, a defender hit him in the thigh, sending Carter into

a mid-air backflip. He crashed to the ground, clamp-
ing his fingers around the ball a split-second before it
touched the turf.
I clapped so hard for Carter that my palms stung.
On the next play from scrimmage, Alex caught a
short pass and made a Mountaineer miss a tackle. He
burst into the open, dodging defenders like a deer cut-
ting in and out of trees. That long gain by Alex set up the
game-winning field goal. The Gators survived, 22–20.

In the locker room, Coach G. gave Alex the game ball.
“Remember what I pledged,” Alex told the team,
taking the ball from Goddard’s hands. “All out. Twice as
hard, every day. I won’t let you down. Just be sure that
none of you let yourselves down.”

* * *

That night and most of the next day, Alex’s speech was
on my mind. I wanted to be that kind of leader and
work as hard as he did. Then, on Sunday night, with a
couple of unfinished homework assignments spread out
across my bed, I got down on the floor for a set of five
hundred sit-ups.

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